Life, and the Universe ... Global warming? Evolution or Intelligent Design? Renewable energy or nuclear power? Science versus religion? Historical fact, or myth? Can time go backwards? A wide-ranging blog about the intriguing "basic questions" of life and the universe, focused not on the various topics themselves but rather WHAT THE QUESTIONS ARE and HOW THEY CAN OR SHOULD BE ANSWERED -- scientifically and rationally, or otherwise.

Monday, January 20, 2014

What you think is right may actually be wrong – Inferring versus rationalising

Over at The Conversation there’s a thought-provoking new article (16 January 2014) about the process of thinking:

We like to think that we reach conclusions by reviewing facts, weighing evidence and analysing arguments. But this is not how humans usually operate, particularly when decisions are important or need to be made quickly.

The matters broached in this article are very relevant to this blog about Basic Questions, wouldn’t you agree?

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me

Tony Austin ... Trained in science and engineering, still tend to approach life from a scientist's or engineer's viewpoint, but over the years have picked up skills in sales/marketing, journalism and other non-technical areas. Taught Chemistry / Math / Science in high schools. Joined IBM Australia in 1970, retired in 1995, since then have been an "independent consultant" [an oxymoron]. So now I have over four decades in the IT business, still enjoying it enormously - except, that is, for the same silly mistakes being repeated time and time again in function and interfaces, won't we ever learn? ... Decided to retire from IT consulting at end of 2013 after 44 years in the industry, closed Asia/Pacific Computer Services then, but am still regularly writing technology articles as an industry observer.